Your Turn — Oct. 2, 2013

Updated 6:23 pm, Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Photo: Curtis Compton / McClatchy-Tribune

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A recent E-N story about NFL great Tommy Nobis, the Jefferson High School grad shown here getting a kiss from his dog, saddened a reader. The reader says the ex-Atlanta Falcon deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. less

A recent E-N story about NFL great Tommy Nobis, the Jefferson High School grad shown here getting a kiss from his dog, saddened a reader. The reader says the ex-Atlanta Falcon deserves to be in the Pro Football ... more

Photo: Curtis Compton / McClatchy-Tribune

Your Turn — Oct. 2, 2013

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Hall of fame

Re: “As Nobis turns 70, local great reflects,” Sports, Wednesday:

The fine article on one of San Antonio's all-time sports heroes saddened me for several reasons:

First, it reminded me that Tommy Nobis is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he belongs. I recently had the opportunity to ask Dick Butkus to name, other than himself, the greatest linebackers of his era. He quickly replied, “Ray Nitsche and Tommy Nobis.”

Of course, the only one of the three not in the Hall of Fame is Tommy. For years, the greatest sports guru in these parts, Dan Cook, vehemently maintained it was a major oversight and injustice that Nobis had not been given the honor he so richly deserved.

I was also disheartened to learn of his health issues, another ex-player added to the list of proud competitors on whom a tough game has taken its toll.

Lastly, I am more than a little dismayed that the organization to which he gave so much, the Atlanta Falcons, has chosen to all but ignore him in a time of need. Fine repayment for the loyalty he gave that team for so many years. He chose to remain a Falcon when he could have easily done otherwise.

I lived in Atlanta back then, and I witnessed Tommy perform at the highest level against the greats of his day. I also had a most memorable chance meeting with him. He was as nice a guy then as he was when he walked the halls of Jefferson High School.

Tommy Nobis is a gentleman, a class act on and off the field. San Antonio can justifiably be proud to call him one of its own. I just wish the Pro-Football Hall of Fame would do the same.

When President Obama took office, this nation was, in my opinion, in a depression. The leaders in government, business or the financial industries did not want to use this term for fear it would drive the economy even further down.

Millions lost their jobs, the banks failed, the auto industry crashed and the stock market plunged.

We have slowly recovered. Foreclosures are down, housing sales are up, home prices are up, the auto industry has recovered and the stock market is at twice the level compared to early 2008.

I admit we are not out of the woods, but we are starting to see a stronger economy. So why, why would officials want to impose a government shut-down at so fragile a time? We may not agree with this government; we may not like this administration, but for the sake of the nation, do they think we should keep pulling together to make this country even greater?

Political posturing is one thing, but when you hurt so many good hard working Americans, is it not time to work together?

I am retired military and a conservative, though not a zealot tea party type. I do not claim party affiliation. I abhor the liberal agenda to take God and prayer out of schools, abort at will, take Jesus away from military chaplains, bargain for more pay for less work, etc., etc.

I usually depend on the Republicans to defend my moral values. But the Republican Party has gone berserk with the de-funding of Obamacare. We all know it is grossly flawed, but believe it or not, there are some positives. If the Republicans came forward with a proposal that says, “Let's keep this and this, and here are options to replace the flawed portions,” they would get 300 million votes of approval. Until then, the Republican Party is earning its reputation as the “party of No!”

Congress passes the Affordable Care Act into law in order to fix it. The president runs for a second term with this law as a major part of his platform. The people overwhelmingly re-elect him. Now the Republicans in Congress state the people don't want it! Repeatedly, their efforts fail to keep the law from taking effect. How are we to know if the program works if we don't try it?

Our Republican Congress is acting like a pouting child. Why don't we try the medicine before passing judgment on it? Seems to me that this child just doesn't want to take the medicine the doctor prescribed! It may not taste good at first, but it may be for our best interest in the long run.

Rick Garcia

Theories and facts

Re: “Another attempt to undermine science,” Editorial, Wednesday:

In its editorial, the Express-News Editorial Board fears that the anti-evolutionists will undermine science.

In my opinion, most evolution theories undermine the science of logic, especially the principle that every effect must have a sufficient cause.

Why does the theory of evolution have a monopoly on what is taught in school? The editors call the theories of anti-evolutionists “specious.” Why not teach the other theories along with evolution so that the students can see just how specious they are? Since theories are not proven facts, don't all theories have their strong and weak points?